I think you're my best friend
by SomethingMoreCreative
Summary: It's Annabeth's birthday, and Percy has a whole day planned for her. Or, the AU where Percy doesn't get his memories back. Congrats to blackjacktheboss for winning my fic giveaway on tumblr!


**A/N: Congrats to blackjacktheboss for winning my fic giveaway on tumblr! Also, thank you so much to jasongraceless and lililibird for helping me out so much with this fic. Some of the headcanons belong to Lili, so go check her out on tumblr asap.**

 _-1022015-_

Annabeth was convinced she was dreaming because Percy doesn't sing.

And yet—she could hear him softly singing a bad version of "Happy Birthday," and she could feel something pressing against her. She was laying on her side, curled up in her sheets and trying to sleep late _for once,_ and if she could pick one day to skip out on all of her responsibilities—today was that day.

Yeah. It was her birthday. Annabeth was going to sleep until _at least_ lunch.

But it was either Dream Percy or Real Percy that was ruining it. His stupid voice was deep, cracking over some of the words that he was trying to sing, making her heart beat faster in her chest. His lips were _way_ too close to her ear, and she was struggling to suppress the shivers running down her spine from him being so close.

Once Percy's song ended, he said, "Annabeth, I know you're awake."

She let out a small groan and turned over, slowly blinking her eyes open. The Athena cabin was flooded with soft, yellow light from the morning sun, but it was silent other than her and Percy. Her siblings must have already been out training.

When Annabeth's eyes adjusted, the only thing she could see was Percy. He was grinning at her from where he was laying down beside her, and he had one of his arms wrapped around her body, pulling her a bit closer to him. Butterflies swarmed Annabeth's stomach, just because she wasn't used to Percy being this close to her.

"Good morning," he said with a smile. "I'm the first one to tell you happy birthday!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but she felt her cheeks flush. "I'm surprised you remembered, Seaweed Brain."

 _Fuck,_ Annabeth hadn't meant to say that.

He must have noticed the mortification on her face though because he ducked forward to press a kiss to her forehead. Annabeth wondered why he was being so affectionate today. Was it just because it was her birthday?

But Percy just laughed slightly, pulling back enough so she could see his whole face again. He said, "Come on, Annabeth, you know I've memorized everything about you."

"I know," she whispered.

When Hera had kidnapped Percy and erased his memories almost two years ago, he had lost everything. In New Rome, when Annabeth had finally seen him again, he had stared at her blankly, stumbling away from her immediately when she tried to hug him.

Annabeth had wanted to die that day.

But she didn't. She pulled her arms away from him, stepped out of his space, and gritted her teeth. A part of her was just relieved that he was _alive_ and _in front of her,_ but there was another part of her that was screaming and crying and _dying—_

Percy was everything, and he remembered nothing.

It got better—well, no. No, it didn't. Not right away at least. Annabeth spent most of the following days staying as far away from Percy as the _Argo II_ would allow. She didn't talk to him. She ignored him when they were in meetings with the others. She didn't look at him.

Percy made it three days before he finally cornered her. They had just been under a small attack on the deck of the ship, and Annabeth hadn't hesitated to toss her body in front of Percy's when a hellhound had jumped toward him. When he had frowned and asked her why she did that, it wasn't long before they were in a screaming match with each other. Annabeth hadn't even really been sure why she was mad at him until she had shouted that she wouldn't have to be so mean to him if he just _remembered her, dammit._

Percy's face fell, and she couldn't ever remember him looking so upset. His voice was rough when he told her that he was trying, but he just couldn't do it and—

They spent the rest of the night talking. Annabeth answered Percy's questions about his mom, Camp Half-Blood, the scar on his right bicep, and anything else he could think of. She didn't start crying until he asked her if they had been more than friends before.

She nodded carefully, telling him about _them._ Percy stared at her while she spoke, and his green eyes filled with tears when she had to stop and wipe her own away.

"Why did Jason get his memories back and I didn't?" Percy had said finally, after a long moment of silence between them.

"I don't know."

"It's not fair."

Annabeth stared up at the stars, cursing the gods because _no, it wasn't._

After their talk though, things did get easier between them. Percy would find his way to her side, like he just gravitated towards her. They didn't talk as much, but everything was just _better_ with Percy by her side. They fought better together—like always—and they were both in a better mood when they were near each other.

But they weren't… _together._ Things with the quest and war were difficult enough, and Percy didn't even remember _her_ , much less how to hold her hand and kiss her. They slowly got used to each other (or Percy got used to Annabeth, because Annabeth knew every damn thing about him and she could finish his sentences), and they became best friends all over again. Annabeth would have thought it was really great if it didn't hurt so damn much.

Then—Annabeth had to go on a solo quest, and the look Percy gave her when she left _hurt,_ like he knew something was different, like he _knew_ that they always worked together. And then Annabeth was back in Percy's arms, him pulling her into a hug and trying to hold some of her weight off of her broken leg after Arachne and and—

Tartarus. Percy didn't let go of her, even when she begged. He didn't even know her, and he still fell with her. It was—Annabeth couldn't describe it.

And then they were out, and both of them were different. Tartarus—Annabeth didn't want to think about it either.

Even after the war ended, Percy didn't get his memory back. There were still some days when he would look at her, and it was obvious that he had no idea who she was. Throwing a relationship in with that? No way. It would have broken them both.

So Annabeth sat back. She and Percy were still friends—great friends, actually, probably closer than they had ever been—and they grew back together slowly. Annabeth told him stories about when they were younger some days, and Percy trained harder than he ever had before. It was strange—being so old and at Camp with all of the younger kids, but neither of them had really felt like going to New Rome yet so they stayed put.

"Hey," Percy interrupted her thoughts, squeezing her side and pulling her back from her memories. His green eyes were wide, and his grin was back. "We're not being sad today. It's your birthday!"

"Yes, it is, and the only thing I want for my birthday is to sleep late," she yawned, rolling farther to her side and bumping into Percy. Her bunk was already small, and putting two, full-grown demigods (not to mention Percy was way bigger than her now) into it didn't really help.

"Too bad. Sleeping late is not on the list for today."

Annabeth frowned and leaned up on her elbow so she could look down at him. She was aware that her hair was probably a mess and she probably had sleep in her eyes and everything, but Percy was still grinning up at her. She said, "What _list?"_

He tucked his free arm behind his head, "I have a whole list planned for your birthday today."

She sighed and flopped back down beside Percy, tugging the sheets back up to her head. She was squished up against his arm now, and he smelled like the ocean. Her voice was muffled when she said, "And there's no way I could convince you that we could stay here instead?"

His face was a little red when she peeked up at him, but he said, "No way, Annabeth. We've got lots of stuff to do today so you should get up and get dressed so we can go."

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"If you would get up, we could find out."

Annabeth groaned again before rolling to her side away from Percy and ducking her head under the sheets. "It turns out, I don't care. I'm sleeping late while the rest of you party for my birthday."

Percy let out a dramatic sigh, and before Annabeth knew what he was doing, she felt his fingers ghost up her sides.

She squealed in surprise and jerked away from him and his stupid fingers that knew where to tickle her, but she didn't make it far before both she and Percy were rolling off of the bed and onto the floor.

Thankfully, Percy landed on the floor first, so he broke her fall. She ended up on top of his chest with both of his arms wrapped around her and the sheets tangled around them too. Annabeth dropped her head to his chest and closed her eyes.

"Heyyy," Percy sang, wiggling underneath her so she couldn't get comfortable and go back to sleep. "Come on, Annabeth! It's your birthday! Let's go!"

She bit back a smile at how excited he sounded and rolled off of him and onto the floor beside him. She scowled at him playfully and said, "I'm sleeping late tomorrow morning."

"You got it," he said with a grin. "Now get dressed. We've got places to be."

Ω

Sure enough, Percy dragged her through Camp as soon as she was dressed. She had been expecting all of their friends to be gathered somewhere with a surprise party, but they didn't really see anyone. Percy was dragging her by the hand, and when they started up to the top of Half-Blood Hill, she could see a pegasus and Chiron standing there.

"Chiron?" Annabeth asked.

He smiled, "Happy birthday, Miss Chase."

"Thank you," she said, smiling back at him. Percy had already let go of her hand, stepping away from her and toward Blackjack, who was grazing beside Chiron. "But what are we doing?"

"Percy has a surprise for you, which will require you to leave Camp," Chiron answered, sending Percy a smile too.

He shrugged, but his face was tinted red as he reached forward to run his hand over Blackjack's nose.

"Oh," Annabeth said. She couldn't think of a reason why they had to leave Camp Half-Blood, but there was really no way to guess with Percy.

"Yeah, you ready to go, Annabeth?" Percy asked. He finally looked back over at her, and his face was still a bit red, like he was embarrassed about something.

She nodded blankly, wondering where they could possibly be going, but Percy just climbed on to Blackjack's back and smiled. "You coming?"

"Bye, Chiron," Annabeth said, glancing back at him before running a hand over Blackjack's neck. He whinnied happily, and she laughed softly as she climbed onto his back behind Percy.

"Goodbye, child," Chiron said with another smile.

"Let's go, Blackjack," Percy said. Annabeth held onto his waist, and then they were soaring through the sky.

Ω

It didn't take her long to figure out that they were going to Percy's apartment in the city.

Blackjack swooped down in between the buildings, and Annabeth looked out over the city and the mortals as they flew over them. The streets and sidewalks were crowded with people, like usual, and the loud hustle and bustle of the city made Annabeth smile.

It was a few more minutes before Blackjack soared to the ground. He landed in an empty corner of Central Park, and Percy and Annabeth slipped off of his back.

"Thanks, Blackjack," Percy said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of sugar cubes to feed to the black pegasus. "We're only going to be a few hours if you want to hang around."

Blackjack whinnied convincingly before soaring back up into the air and disappearing into the clouds.

"Ready to go?" Percy asked. His hair was sticking up behind his ear, but it looked like he had just been for a walk on the beach instead of flying on the back of a pegasus. Annabeth was sure her hair was a disaster.

She nodded, "Yeah."

Percy kept his hands tucked into his pockets as they walked. It wasn't very far—maybe a few blocks before they were trudging up the stairs and into Percy's apartment building. He asked her about her new work with Jason for New Rome recently, and even though she knew it was just to keep her from asking question, she explained anyway. She also knew he had no idea what she was talking about, but his eyes almost never left her face while he nodded along.

Annabeth fell silent when they exited the elevator and started walking down the hall. Percy still had his hands jammed into his jean pockets, and she hovered close to his arm, wondering what the hell they were doing here.

"Nervous?" Percy asked suddenly, shooting her a grin as they stopped in front of the door. "You stopped talking."

She scowled at him, "Just wondering what we're doing. It's my birthday, and we're traipsing through the city when we could be back at Camp with our friends."

Percy laughed, "We're going back later. This is just Step 1 of your birthday day."

"Step 1?"

"Yeah, now come on," he said, reaching out to grab her hand as he opened the door so he could pull them through.

Annabeth had been expecting some sort of party at Percy's apartment. Maybe they had been setting up this morning, and Percy was the one assigned to keep her entertained until they were ready for her. But when Percy opened the door, no one jumped out and screamed "Surprise!" Annabeth frowned, and Percy pulled her into the living room, closing the door behind them.

Percy's apartment was like a second home to Annabeth. While he had been missing for all those months, it wasn't uncommon for her to come hang out with Sally and Paul and then sleep in Percy's bed before going back to Camp the next day. Annabeth had kept in touch with Sally, and she was really the one who helped Sally and Percy figure everything out after Percy lost all of his memories.

They walked through the familiar living room, and Percy pulled her into the kitchen. When she looked up, Sally and Paul were both smiling and shouting, "Happy Birthday!"

A grin broke out on Annabeth's face, and she let go of Percy's hand to take a step forward to Sally. Percy's mom was already rushing toward her, and a second later, Annabeth was folded into her arms.

Annabeth had always loved Sally's hugs, and really, she would have been perfectly happy if that's all she got for her birthday.

She sighed against Sally's chest, holding on tighter than normal. Annabeth was smiling, and she was so glad that they were here. Sally smelled like cookies, and she was combing her fingers through Annabeth's curls.

"Hey," Percy whined, tugging on Annabeth's arm to get her away from his mom. "It's my turn."

"Shut up," she said. "It's my birthday."

Sally laughed and squeezed her tighter before pulling back and smiling down at her. Her brown hair was swept up into a ponytail, and her eyes were warm. She tucked a strand of Annabeth's hair behind her ear and said, "Are you hungry?"

When Sally asked, Annabeth nodded and looked just over her shoulder. Paul was standing beside Percy now, but there were stacks of blue waffles on the kitchen table along with a table full of other food. At the end of the table, there was a small stack of presents, and Annabeth wondered if Sally had gotten them for her.

"Good! Percy called and asked me how to make waffles because he wanted to surprise you, but the last thing you needed on your birthday was a burned Camp," Sally joked, laughing when Percy scoffed indignantly. "And I wanted to give you your presents today anyway."

"Sally, you didn't have to—" Annabeth started.

Sally shushed her, "I wanted to, Annabeth. After all, your daughter only turns nineteen once, right?"

And then tears were welling in Annabeth's eyes, and she had to blink them back before she really started crying. It's just—even after all this time with Sally being like Annabeth's _mom,_ it still got to her when Sally mentioned it.

She felt Percy's hand on her back for a second, and Annabeth took a breath, smiling back at Sally as she moved over to hug Percy.

Paul greeted her with a quick side hug too, while Sally quizzed Percy about the last few weeks. Even though Percy and Sally were close despite him not remembering anything about growing up, Percy didn't like to stay here as much as he used to. He usually came by every few weeks, towing Annabeth along with him, or he called from Camp at least once every few days just to check on her. Annabeth knew that it made Sally a bit sad, but she knew that it was what was best for Percy.

The four of them sat down at the table, Paul and Sally on one side while Percy and Annabeth took the other. Breakfast was delicious—blue waffles were Annabeth's favorite even though Percy didn't really get it anymore—and after they were finished eating, Sally pulled the stack of presents down the table and set them in front of her.

Annabeth couldn't really ever remember having this many birthday presents before. She opened the first one, and her eyes widened.

"Sally," she started. "This is too much."

"Of course it's not Annabeth," she chided, smiling warmly. "When you were here last week, your backpack strap was about to break. It's high time you got a new one with all of the work that you do."

Annabeth nodded, staring down at her new backpack and running her hands over the light blue material. The rest of the backpack was accented with gray, and really, it was _perfect_.

"Thank you," she said, smiling up at Sally.

Percy's mom pushed the rest of the stack toward her. "Now here's some stuff you can put down in it."

She finished opening the stack, pulling out a few new books from Paul and Sally and a new bracelet. When Annabeth was reaching for the last one, a medium sized box wrapped in blue paper, Sally said, "That one is from Percy."

He was blushing when she looked over at him, and Annabeth gently shoved his shoulder with a small laugh, "You didn't have to get me anything, Seaweed Brain."

He shrugged, looking back down at his lap.

She ripped through the paper, sliding the top of the box off before looking down into it.

"It doesn't really count because it's just work stuff that you said you needed but I—"

Annabeth peered down through all of the new office supplies that Percy had gotten her. She had been muttering for _weeks_ about how she needed new pens and drafting paper, and this was perfect. Honestly, she was surprised that Percy had even been listening to her, much less remembering all of this perfectly.

Before she could lose her nerve, she ducked forward and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, smiling and saying, "It's perfect, Percy. Thank you."

His face was beet red when he murmured, "You're welcome."

Once they finished eating, Percy and Sally cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes while Annabeth and Paul sat at the table, talking about her work on Olympus and his job at the school. Annabeth had offered to help them clean, but Sally had shooed her away while Percy splashed water on her from the sink.

They spent a few more hours with Sally and Paul, but closer to lunch, Percy announced that it was time to leave, so after she hugged both Sally and Paul goodbye, thanking them again, Percy tossed her new backpack onto his shoulder and herded her out of the door, steering her back to the elevator and down to the street.

When they got back out in the sunshine, Annabeth asked, "Are we going back to Camp now?"

Percy grinned, turning his head to look at her. They were weaving through people on the sidewalk, and Annabeth reached for his hand out of habit. He said, "Not yet."

She was confused, but she stayed silent as Percy lead their way down the sidewalk. They walked for a solid twenty minutes through the summer heat. Finally, Percy came to a stop on the sidewalk, and someone bumped into Annabeth behind her before Percy pulled her to the side.

"We're here," he said, grinning at her and gripping her backpack tighter. There were a few books in it, so it definitely wasn't light, but it wasn't hurting him to carry it.

Annabeth looked up at the building, "The movie theater?"

"Yeah," he said. "Come on."

He pulled her inside, and before she could object, he was grabbing his wallet from his pocket and buying two tickets, tugging on her hand and herding her inside the theater and into one of the seats on the top row.

Annabeth wasn't really even sure what they were seeing, but Percy looked so excited, and his smiles were contagious. Annabeth was laughing along with him during the previews when he would lean forward to whisper a lame joke into her ear.

The movie was actually really good—it was based off of a popular book (that Annabeth had read, she wasn't sure if Percy had known that). Really, it could have sucked, and she wouldn't have had any less fun. Going to the movies just felt so… _normal._ Back when they were younger, they had tried to go to the movies once, but they had been interrupted with demigod stuff before they could go. Of course, Annabeth wouldn't trade her life for anything, but doing normal, teenage stuff with Percy was fun too.

About halfway through the movie, Annabeth reached for Percy's hand. She could feel his eyes on her face, but she didn't look over at him as she weaved her fingers through his. He didn't let go until the lights came back on and they started back outside.

She didn't say anything as they walked down the street, instead, just thinking the day over. It had been incredible so far—probably her best birthday—and just thinking about Percy having planned all of this made her want to blush.

"You not going to ask where we're going?" Percy said suddenly. He was at her side now, matching her pace and grinning down at her.

She shrugged, "No. You never actually tell me so I figured I would just wait and see."

Percy laughed, and the sound made her smile.

A few blocks later, Percy pulled her into a small pizza restaurant, and they grabbed a table by the window. The place was nice, the food was good, and Percy was laughing and leaning toward her across the table the whole time. Annabeth dared to think that it felt a lot like a _date,_ but she refused to go along with it because if she did she would start blushing.

After they finished eating, they walked back down the sidewalk, threading through the people on the side of the streets. It wasn't long before they came to the edge of the Hudson River, stopping and looking out over the muddy water.

"Having fun?" Percy asked, leaning against one of the railings and turning his head to look at her.

She nodded, "Yeah. Thank you."

"I told you I have a whole day planned," Percy said with a grin. He whistled loudly, and a few seconds later, Blackjack was swooping down out of the clouds to land on the grass beside them. "And we're not finished yet."

He slipped her new backpack onto her shoulders, and they both climbed onto Blackjack's back.

Percy turned his head back to look at her. "Ready?"

She nodded and tucked her arms around his waist, holding on to him. "Ready."

Ω

It was late in the afternoon by the time they got back to Camp, and really, Annabeth was kind of tired from running around all day. She didn't say anything to Percy though because she just knew he had something else planned.

When they landed in the middle of Camp, everything was oddly silent. She couldn't see any campers anywhere, and it made her wonder what was going on and where they were planning on surprising her, because she _knew_ they were.

Percy and Annabeth hoped off of Blackjack, standing in the grass outside of the ring of cabins. Annabeth hesitated, waiting for Percy to tell her where they were going and what they were doing next.

"See you later, Blackjack," Percy said, running his hand over the black pegasus's back. "Thanks for today. I owe you some donuts."

Blackjack whinnied again, taking off into the sky.

Percy turned to her and grinned, "Ready?"

"Probably not," she said. "But let's go anyway."

He laughed, "Let's go put your backpack up first."

They walked across the deserted camp until they got to the Athena cabin. Percy waited outside while she deposited her new backpack on her bunk. She took a quick look in the mirror, and then ducked inside the bathroom to yank a brush through her messy curls.

When she came back outside and down the steps, Percy looked up at her and smiled. He offered her a hand, "Looking good, birthday girl. Wanna go party?"

She laughed. "Have you been thinking about that since I went inside?"

"No. It took me all morning."

Annabeth laughed again, carefully slipping her hand into his and letting him drag her up towards the pavilion where everyone was probably waiting. Just when they were rounding the corner to the Poseidon cabin, Percy stopped them and ducked behind the building before anyone could see them.

He pulled a blue piece of material out of his pocket and said, "I'm supposed to make you wear this."

She frowned when she realized it was a blind fold, but she turned around and let Percy tie the material around her eyes, taking her vision away. She flinched, the darkness bringing up bad memories, but if everyone was excited about her being blindfolded, then she would get over her Tartarus nightmares for this.

Percy noticed though and started to untie it, "Annabeth, you don't have to wear it. Sorry, I forgot about—"

She reached up to touch his wrist, stopping his hands from where he was loosening the material. Her voice was low, and she forced herself to take a deep breath when she said, "No, it's fine. Just. Don't let go of my hand."

He didn't say anything for a second, but Annabeth would have given anything to have seen his expression right then. His voice was intense, and he smoothed his hand down her arm as he said, "I won't. Promise."

She nodded.

Percy took both of her hands in his and started to pull her forward. They made it a few steps before he said, "You okay?"

She rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her. "Yes, you idiot. And I can walk faster than this believe it or not."

He laughed a bit, "Alright, Annabeth."

Slowly, they made their way up the hill to the pavilion. Percy held on to both of her hands, talking to her about their day. His voice was softer than she expected, and he tightened his grip on her hands when he said something that made her laugh.

When they finally stepped up onto the concrete, one of Percy's hands slipped to her waist, turning her to the side. He was standing at her side now, and his voice was louder when he said, "Ready?"

She nodded, and she felt Percy reach up to untie the blind fold.

"SURPRISE!"

As soon as the blind fold was gone, they all started yelling. All of the campers (plus some extras) were standing in the pavilion, and really, it's a wonder that Annabeth hadn't heard them before.

Piper, Jason, and Leo were standing in the front of the group, along with Frank, Hazel, and Reyna. It had been so long since she had seen them from Camp Jupiter that she started forward with Percy in tow. He let his hand slip out of hers as she tossed her arms around Hazel and Piper, before she moved on to the rest of them.

Everyone was laughing and talking now, and Piper tugged on her arm again, saying, "We have food and cake and presents! Happy birthday, Annabeth!"

The other campers followed suit, yelling along with Piper. Annabeth _knew_ her face was red with all of the attention.

When everyone started getting in line for food—which was everywhere, Annabeth had never seen so much in her life—Piper asked her about her day, which was really great. This was definitely the best birthday that she had ever had.

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "Thank you for throwing this party. Everybody looks like they're having fun."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I didn't do it. Percy got everything together. He just told me what to do."

And really, that hit Annabeth _hard_ because Percy Jackson, known for his impulsiveness and spontaneity, got this perfect day together for her and planned it all out.

After a few more minutes, Annabeth wandered away from Piper, threading through the other people that were crowding the pavilion. There were people waiting for food and talking and laughing, and Annabeth was looking for—

She finally found Percy standing with Nico, Frank, and Hazel. Annabeth wasn't sure where Will was—they had been attached at the hip lately, but the four of them were smiling and laughing. Frank had his arm around Hazel's shoulders, and Nico was pretending to scowl and Percy was _laughing_ and Annabeth was smiling too.

She walked up behind Percy, slipping her arm around his waist and laying her head against his back. She just—she loved him so much, and suddenly, she couldn't stand it.

Percy jumped at first, twisting his head to catch a glimpse of her curls. He set one of his hands on top of hers, and his voice was shaky when he said, "What's this for?"

"For being you, Seaweed Brain," she murmured just low enough for him to hear, leaning up on her toes so she was closer to his ear. "Thank you for today."

His neck turned red, and Annabeth bit back a grin. The other campers were probably wondering what she was saying to him right now, but she definitely didn't care.

"You're welcome," he murmured, reaching his hand around to touch her arm.

She stood there for a few minutes, listening to Percy talk with Frank, until Piper started looking for her. Annabeth slipped away from Percy, sending him a small smile before following Piper.

There was music playing now, and some of the campers were dancing in one section of the pavilion. The tables were covered in colored table clothes, and there were little decorations and confetti at each of them. Piper pulled her over to the table with the presents, and Annabeth opened them slowly, taking the time to thank everyone for her gifts—which were great too. Annabeth wasn't sure how she got such good friends.

After they ate and sang "Happy Birthday" to her while she blew the candles out on her cake, Piper turned the music up and pulled her toward the dance floor even though she tried to object. Piper and Hazel had just looped their arms through hers and tugged her behind them.

Just as one of Piper's favorite songs ended, Jason walked up to her and grabbed one of her hands, pulling her away from Piper and Hazel. They both darted forward to press a kiss to her cheek, wishing her happy birthday one more time before they let Jason pull her away from the pavilion. The party didn't stop, and as they walked farther from it, the music and noise faded.

It had been a few more hours at least, and now, the sun was completely down, with the moon rising high into the sky. Annabeth hadn't realized how much time had passed because she had been having so much fun.

"Where are we going?" Annabeth asked, wondering why Jason was leading her away from the party.

"It's a secret," he said, sending her a small smile. "Having a good birthday?"

"The best," Annabeth answered honestly. This had definitely been the best birthday that she had ever had. With Percy and all of her friends, it was just—wait. "Um, where's Percy?"

"Also a secret," Jason said. They had already walked halfway across the camp, and the sounds from the pavilion had almost died down completely. They were walking down the hill now, getting closer to the ocean and—

Oh. Duh.

Annabeth felt herself smiling, and there were butterflies swooping through her stomach as she thought about Percy. He had planned this whole day out for her, and everything had been perfect.

Jason stopped walking and let go of her hand when the grass started fading to sand. He smiled and said, "Happy birthday, Annabeth. Percy is waiting for you."

And suddenly, Annabeth was really glad that Jason was the one that brought her down here because she wasn't half as nervous as she would be if they had let Piper drag her down here excitedly. Even though she had resented him at first (and for a long time after Percy didn't get his memory back), he was a really good friend to have, and Annabeth was proud to call him that.

"Thanks, Jason," she said, taking a step toward the beach. "I'll see you later?"

"Probably be tomorrow, but yeah," he said with a laugh, turning to walk away. "Have a good night."

Annabeth nodded and waved goodbye, watching him saunter back up the hill before finally turning back toward the beach.

The moon was high in the sky, and the bright light glinted off of the ocean. The waves were gentle, and Annabeth's heart dropped when she saw Percy standing with his back to her. He was waist deep in the water, and Annabeth could see his shirt thrown into the sand right before the water started.

Annabeth took a deep breath and checked over her shoulder. The beach was deserted other than her and Percy, and the sounds from the party were completely silenced by the waves crashing onto the shore.

She stopped beside Percy's discarded shirt, toeing out of her shoes and slipping her shirt over her head. She shimmied out of her shorts quickly, thanking the gods that her underwear actually matched for once. She knew Percy wouldn't care either way but—priorities.

Her stomach flipped at his name, and Annabeth tried to stay calm. Her earlier butterflies had turned into vultures, who were swarming her stomach now and making her hands shake a bit. She knew why she was so nervous—but still. It was just Percy. There wasn't a reason to worry.

Before she could change her mind, Annabeth waded into the water. It was warmer than she expected, and she felt a change in the waves as soon her skin touched the water, like Percy sensed her and he was calming the ocean. Her feet rolled through the sand on the floor of the ocean as she moved toward him. She could feel a light current tugging at her ankles, like the water was urging her towards Percy, which was probably exactly what was happening.

She stepped up to his shoulder carefully, turning her head to look up at the moon in the sky. She felt Percy's gaze on her, but she didn't meet his eyes.

"Hey," Percy said a few minutes later. His voice was soft, and Annabeth knew he was smiling.

She looked up at him and said, "Hey."

"What are you thinking about?" Percy asked, reaching out for her hand, but hesitating at the last second. Annabeth bit back her smile.

She shrugged, "Just how great today has been."

"Yeah?"

She did smile when his voice took on a surprised tone, and she laughed softly. "Yeah, Seaweed Brain. Thank you."

His face was a bit red, "You're welcome, Annabeth. You deserved it."

Annabeth didn't know what to say, but she stepped a bit closer to him and hummed happily. Sure, she had a great day with all of her friends, but it was awesome being alone with Percy right now.

They fell into silence again, and Annabeth wondered what Percy was thinking about that was keeping him so quiet.

Biting back her smile, she dipped her hands into the water and threw it at him, splashing his head and chest. Of course, he didn't get wet, but his surprised expression was enough to make Annabeth fall into a fit of laughter.

Well—it was until Percy reached out and grabbed her, lifting her up out of the water and holding her above it.

She clawed at his shoulders, trying to get a hold on him so he couldn't throw her. "Percy Jackson," she said, trying to roll over in his arms, but he held her out away from his body so she couldn't reach him. "If you drop me, I swear—"

"I thought you would know better than to start a water fight with a son of Poseidon, Annabeth," Percy chided, clicking his teeth together and shaking his head playfully.

Before she could answer him, Percy tossed her away from him, letting her submerge completely into the water.

Unlike him, Annabeth came up soaking wet. Her curls were plastered to her neck, and she glared at Percy from where he was sinking into the water with a mischievous grin on his face. His head went under a second later, and then she felt something grab her ankle.

Percy pulled her under and wrapped his arms around her waist before sinking deeper into the water. She kept her eyes closed, and after a few more seconds, she had to tap on his chest to let him know that she couldn't breathe.

He pushed her up toward the surface, and she gulped in oxygen. She couldn't touch the bottom anymore, and when she looked back to the shore, they were actually really far away.

Annabeth felt something touching her leg, and then half a second later, Percy surfaced in front of her. He was barely a few inches away from her, and the moon and stars were so bright in the sky, she could see his smile perfectly.

"Our first real kiss was underwater," she said before she could stop herself. Her voice sounded too loud against the silence.

Percy raised his eyebrows, "You can't breathe underwater though."

Annabeth laughed and dipped a little lower in the water, struggling to keep her feet moving because she was so tired. Percy must have noticed because he reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him and keeping her head out of the water.

She hadn't ever told him this before, but she was smiling as she remembered it. She usually kept most of their personal stuff from before from Percy, just because she didn't want him to feel like they _had_ to be together just because of the past. If they were going to be together, Annabeth wanted it to be because Percy had feelings for her _now_.

"It was right after we got back to Camp from Manhattan that day when the war ended," Annabeth started, lifting one of her hands to grip his arm. "You were sitting at the pavilion by yourself after dinner, and when I came back up to tell you happy birthday, you stuttered through telling me how you felt. I don't really think you even finished before the other campers were celebrating that I had kissed because they carried us to the lake and threw us in. You made an air bubble at the bottom of the lake for us."

Percy stared up at her. "It was my birthday?"

"Yeah," she said with a nod and a small smile.

He didn't say anything, but he stared at her. After a few seconds, his smile faded and he pulled her closer to him, pushing her up a bit more so he had to look up to see her face. His voice was rough when he said, "Annabeth, I'm sorry."

Her chest tightened. They had been through this several hundred times over the past two years, but that never stopped Percy from apologizing every chance he got.

Annabeth pulled her arm up to wrap around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. His eyes closed for a few seconds before he blinked back up at her. Her voice was soft but stern when she said, "Percy, there's nothing to be sorry for. You're right here. That's all I need, okay? You're safe and alive, and _gods_ —that's all I need."

He looked away from her, and Annabeth leaned down until her forehead was pressed against his. She moved her arm and pinched his shoulder, "Hey, you were the one that said we weren't going to be sad today."

"I'm not sad," Percy argued, knocking his nose against hers.

"Good because I'm telling you about the time you turned into a Guinea pig."

Annabeth had actually told him this story so many times, but this was one of the few that made him laugh and smile up at her, no matter how many times she told it. By the time she was finished, Percy was smiling again and his hands were tight on her waist.

"You saved me a lot back then, didn't you?" Percy asked, a small smile on his face.

"Back then? I save you every single day, Seaweed Brain," she scoffed, looping her arm back around his neck.

Percy's smile was still there, but his face took on a more intense look. Annabeth could barely see his green eyes in the dark, but they were bright and she never wanted to look away from him. There was something different about his gaze tonight, something she couldn't really get her mind around. Her heart was beating faster, and it wasn't until Percy's hand slipped to her back that she realized just how close they were.

When she leaned forward a bit, she heard Percy's breath catch. In fact, she wasn't even really sure that she was breathing either. Her face was barely an inch from his, and for one of the first times in almost two years, she saw Percy glance down at her lips.

"Yeah," he breathed, looking back up until his eyes met hers. "You do."

Annabeth wasn't sure what to say, so she just leaned a bit closer to him, closing her eyes and shivering against the coolness of the water.

"I have a blanket back on the beach," Percy whispered. His face was pressed into her shoulder, and his lips ghosted over her bare skin. Annabeth shivered again, but it wasn't from the cold.

She nodded, letting Percy pull her back toward the shore. He set her back on her feet when they were waist deep, pulling his hands away from her as they climbed out of the ocean. Annabeth tried not to blush, but she could feel Percy's eyes on her. It's not like he had never seen her in a bikini before, but it just felt… different with it being her underwear instead.

Annabeth slipped her shorts back on, wringing out her hair before grabbing her shirt from Percy's hands and sliding it back over her head. She couldn't really tell in the dark, but it looked like his face was a bit redder than normal.

He didn't bother with putting his shirt back on—hey, Annabeth wasn't complaining—and he lead her over to a blanket that was spread out over the sand a few feet away from the water.

They laid down side by side, staring up at the sky. The stars were bright, and Annabeth could remember the first time that she taught Percy how to read the constellations back when they were twelve. She remembered the second time too, which was barely a year ago on a night just like this one.

Percy was close enough that Annabeth could feel his body heat against the slight breeze, and she shifted a bit closer to him.

"I have your birthday present," he said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

She frowned and looked over at him, "But you already gave me a present at breakfast this morning?"

"That wasn't your _real_ present," he said, rolling his eyes and turning over on his side to face her.

"Okay," Annabeth said, sitting up so she could look down at him. "Where is it?"

Percy sat up too, staring at her for a second before reaching into his pocket.

"It's not much," he said as he placed it into her hand. "But I saw it and thought of you."

Annabeth couldn't breathe.

Percy had given her a blue coral pendent. It was shaped a bit differently than her red one he had given her the first time, but it was definitely one of the same ones. And just… oh gods, she couldn't _think_ straight. Percy might not remember her and all of the memories they made together, but he did care about her. And with him getting her this exact present again at this time… Did that mean that he _loved_ her? Did that mean that there was still a part of him that felt the same way as he used to?

Annabeth didn't realize she was crying until Percy reached out and said, "You don't have to keep it. Just. Don't cry, Annabeth."

She jerked away from his outstretched hands, cupping the coral pendent in her hands and pulling it closer to her chest. "No—no, Percy."

"What's wrong then? I know it's a bad present but—"

"It's—not a ba—ad present," Annabeth said over her crying as she tried to catch her breath. She hadn't realized how upset she had gotten—she could barely breathe now, and there were tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Hey," Percy said, setting one of his hands on her knee. "What's going on?"

She hiccupped and scrubbed away her tears with one hand before she looked back up at him. He was leaning closer to her, and the light from the moon was bright enough for her to see how wide his eyes were.

"It's—you—" Annabeth stuttered at first before she forced herself to take a breath and slow down. "I have one of these."

He still looked confused, "What do you mean? I got this from the bottom of the ocean."

"I—you gave me one before," she whispered, staring down at it.

It was silent, and when Percy didn't say anything, Annabeth looked up at him.

He was staring at her. His eyes were blown wide, and he was frozen. He swallowed roughly before he choked out, "I did?"

She nodded, blinking up at him and shoving more of her tears away. "Yeah. When we started dating. I wore it on my necklace every day until I got to New Rome and you… I keep it in a box in my cabin. That's why you haven't seen it before."

He looked really confused, and his voice was low and shaky when he said, "Do you… do you think I'm going to get my memories back then? If this reminded me of you?"

Annabeth wasn't sure. Yeah, Percy could have been getting his memories back or least getting little glimpses of stuff from his past, but he could have just thought about her when he saw it because it really reminded him of her.

"I don't know, Percy," she whispered, looking down at the pendent in her hands before glancing back up at him. "But it doesn't matter either way. It doesn't matter if you never get your memories back—we're going to be fine. As friends or whatever we are, we're fine, okay?"

Percy stared at her for a few seconds before he nodded slowly. He looked like he was choking on something when he said, "Um, that's something, uh, that I wanted to talk to you about."

Annabeth felt her heart clench in her chest. She was having a hard time breathing with Percy being this close to her and—

"Yeah?" She whispered.

It was silent for a few seconds, and Percy hung onto her gaze with his own. His eyes were cloudy, and his leg was shaking.

"I'm in love with you," he blurted out suddenly, stealing all of the air from Annabeth's lungs. "And I don't know if it's because I loved you before or because I fell in love with you now, but I just know that I love you so much that I can't stand it and I—"

She leaned forward in the middle of his speech and interrupted him, taking his chin in her hands and pulling his lips up to meet hers.

And _gods,_ Percy was familiar and new all at once, it was making her head spin. His lips moved under hers just like they used to, but there was something new there too.

They broke away from each other after a few seconds, staying close enough to keep their foreheads pressed together. Both of their breath was ragged, and Annabeth could feel Percy's arms slip around her waist to pull her closer. Her hands were still on his face, running her fingers across his jaw.

"I love you too, Percy," she breathed. "I love you too."

He sighed in relief and tugged her closer, pulling her into his lap. Annabeth let one of her hands slide into his hair, and her knees slipped to bracket his hips. She cupped his cheek in her hand and pushed her lips back to his.

His hands were tight on her waist, and one of them slipped up her back to tangle in her wet hair. Annabeth sighed against his lips because _damn,_ she had missed this.

Percy tipped backwards slowly so he was laying on his back, with Annabeth hovering over him. She kissed him until neither of them could breathe, diving right back in as soon as she had gulped enough air to keep going. When she pulled away from his lips to kiss across his cheek and jaw, she realized he was laughing.

"What is it?" She murmured against his skin, kissing the bridge of his nose.

He shook his head, making Annabeth miss his forehead and catch his temple with her lips instead. His eyes were closed, but there was a grin covering his face now.

She tugged on his hair, "Tell me what's so funny."

His green eyes finally opened, and he blinked up at her. His eyes were round and bright, reflecting the light of the moon. His voice was soft when he said, "It feels like my birthday instead of yours with you kissing me like this."

"Mmm," she hummed, kissing the side of his face and hitting that spot underneath his ear that he liked so well. Percy let out a little moan, making Annabeth grin at the sound. "I think it feels like my birthday because I'm kissing you."

Percy laughed again, the sound louder and clearer against the night. They fell back into silence, kissing slowly and letting their hands wander across each other's bodies like they hadn't in so long.

"Hey," Percy said against her lips.

She pulled back enough to look down at him and smile, "What?"

"Happy birthday, Annabeth."

She smiled again, leaning down to peck him on the lips before she rolled over and curled up at his side, taking his hands in hers and resting her head right beside his. Her voice was soft, and Percy's eyes were brighter than the stars when she said, "Thank you, Seaweed Brain."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading, and leave a review!**

 **-SomethingMoreCreative**


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